In the wake of the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill, numerous measures were taken in attempt to cleanup the spill. A trial burn was conducted during the early stages of the spill, in a small region of the spill isolated from the rest by a fire-resistant boom. The test was of questionable success, and because of unfavorable winds and weather (e.g., regional meteorological dynamics), and the negative potential impact on air quality and the general environment (e.g., as effects to Nature) no additional burning was attempted during the next 16 years of this (ongoing) cleanup effort. Mechanical cleanup was started shortly afterwards using booms and skimmers, but technical problems due to the thickness of the oil layer and kelp that tended to clog the equipment, became a serious issue. On Mar. 24, 1989, a private company was retained to apply a dispersant, using a helicopter and dispersant buckets. The results and/or findings showed, however, that there was insufficient wave action to mix the oil and the dispersant, and use of this method was also discontinued. Degradation and byproducts from additive dispersants and/or reactions with oil constituents and petroleum derivatives, became a concern to many. Another concern arose from the fact that the skimmers could not be made readily available during the critical first 24 hours after the spill, i.e., a crucial period for response time, in dealing with wildlife and fragile ecosystems.
Working with the U.S. Coast Guard, who officially led the response, Exxon mounted a cleanup effort that is said to have exceeded in cost, scope, and thoroughness, any previous oil spill cleanup operation. In addition to the Exxon employees, more than 11,000 Alaska residents worked throughout the region, helping to restore the environment. Three years after the event of the spill, in 1992, the Coast Guard declared the cleanup complete. However, to this day, many environmental problems remain, and wildlife are still recovering from this disaster.
The Exxon-Valdez case, along with the standard practices for dealing with oil-spills, and the results of clean-up operations and remediation efforts in subsequent spills, indicate that the current methodologies and technologies used in dealing with spills of crude oil and its derivatives are far from ideal. The impacts to our environment and local ecology, resulting from oil-spills, are significant, and remain a serious problem.
The problem, to a large degree, is due to the natural properties of the oil or pollutant substrate itself: its immiscibility, its tendency to disperse over aqueous surfaces (or to form thin films), its viscosity (e.g., that results in the smothering of aquatic birds and mammals, or clinging to coastal rocks), its potential toxicity, and the nature and/or longevity of these pollutant effects. Additionally, spilled oils can vary from low viscosity fluids containing (in various parts) volatile and/or combustible moieties, to highly-viscous and very gummy or tar-like products. Thus, oil and other immiscible pollutant substances are difficult to handle and effectively remove, both from the body of water where the spill occurs, and from surrounding environmental areas, e.g., beaches, rocks, and other natural habitats.